Beware with the elderly, as smell can also be a sense which diminishes with age, or as a comorbidity of conditions such as Parkinson's disease.
There is some chemical in certain shampoos that affects me more than most. The sensation is less like smelling and more like something is penetrating into my nose. It doesn't feel quite like burning or heat, but it's intense in a sort of similar way.
Sorry that's vague, but maybe this is a well-known thing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_tree_oil
Trader Joe's in the U.S. sells a line of shampoo/conditioner that has that extract in it, and if it gets into my eyes it's game over.
https://www.traderjoes.com/digin/post/tea-tree-tingle-bath-p...